


A Regency Tale

by ninetiesnecklace



Category: Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Winter, regency novel themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 12:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8980075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninetiesnecklace/pseuds/ninetiesnecklace
Summary: Anders and Mitchell are invited to Dawn and Ty's for a winter party. Mitchell is pretty good at ice skating, as is little Anna. Anders? Not so much.__________________This is a loose sequel to  "Adventures of a Mall Santa" but can also be read as a one shot.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [consultingfili](https://archiveofourown.org/users/consultingfili/gifts).



> A Christmas gift for my lovely ConsultingFili!

Anders helped himself to another cup of mulled wine from the little make-shift bar Ty and Dawn had set up on their terrace overlooking their garden. The tips of the plants were covered in little snowy hats, the grass was chequered in green and white and on the far side of the garden Mitchell and little Anna were ice skating on the pond. Their laughter sounded through the chilly air: shrieks of excitement on Anna’s part, mixing in with Mitchell’s deep laugh. Anders smiled to himself as he watched them spin around in a swirl of colours originating from their respective scarves. Even the second winter of being in use couldn’t dim their brightness, Anders thought with an amused chuckle and pulled up his own specimen of woollen modern art.

“Someone’s having fun,” Ty said as he appeared at Anders’ side. As one would expect from the god of all things dark and cold Ty was only wearing a light jacket and if Anders weren’t used to the sight he would’ve felt ridiculous in his hat and gloves.

“You froze the pond for Anna, didn’t you?” Anders asked with a smile. “It hasn’t been cold long enough for ice skating.”

Ty shrugged and grinned bashfully. “Guilty as charged.”

Anders raised one critical eyebrow. “What about the fish?”

“They’re fine,” Ty smiled, “I didn’t freeze it solid.”

The sip of mulled wine ran warmly through Anders as he nodded at his brother, satisfied with the answer. “Good.”

This late December party over at Dawn’s and Ty’s house in the suburbs was somewhat of a tradition. What had started as a housewarming party had soon become a fixed event in their calendars. Anders had made it a habit to arrive a little early, before the rest of his family stormed in and effectively took over the place in that charming yet chaotic way of theirs. Maybe he was getting older or mellower but even though Anders would never consider such a life for himself it was lovely to see how well his brother’s own little family was doing. Especially with their own difficult family life in mind.

Cloaked in a fashionable winter coat and matching hat on her blond hair Dawn came out the terrace door. “I’m so glad you and Mitchell could come,” Dawn commented happily as she joined Anders and Ty, pressing a short peck on her husband’s lips.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Dawnsie,” Anders nodded and a genuine smile lit up Dawn’s face.

“Did Olaf say if he could make it?” Ty asked.

“Eh,” Anders shrugged, “You know Olaf. No one knows what he can and cannot make.”

“That’s true,” Dawn nodded. “Well, just in case, I’ll prepare a few more sandwiches.”

“I’ll help you, darling,” Ty said and turned to follow Dawn. “You okay out here, Anders?”

“Sure, I’m good,” he answered, pulling the earflaps of his hat down with one hand. “I’ll watch out for the happy excited kid on skates. And Anna.”

Ty grinned and disappeared back inside the house, leaving Anders to see Mitchell and Anna twirl some more before heading to the garden chairs to change shoes. A few moments later they came back across the lawn, both wearing heavy boots again. Mitchell carried the two pairs of ice skates and his right held on to Anna’s gloved hand. They both looked happy, Anders thought, all red cheeks and smiles, coats open from the warmth that the skating had built up. Under Mitchell’s coat a red sweater peeked out, complete with a pattern of green mistletoes and reindeer and Anders bit back a grin – until he remembered what hid under his own jacket in uncanny tastelessness.

Who knew that ugly sweater season resonated particularly strong with Mitchell. And that his enthusiasm had infested his family in no time. Granted, Anders did feel cheeky pleasure when he gifted Ty a sweater with snowflakes and ice sculptures. But the scarf, the sweater… Anders shook his head in amusement. Every winter it seemed that his whole family slid into a vortex of questionable fashion taste that only increased when Christmas approached. But then again, why not. He had given up his vanity a few times already and if this reindeer sweater with a sewed-on furry red nose was the price to pay to see Mitchell and Anna happy Anders was more than willing to pay it.

“Uncle Andy!” Anna shouted out and waved at him – a gesture Anders returned with equal enthusiasm.

“Hey, look at you two,” he greeted them and placed a quick kiss on Mitchell’s lips, cold from the frosty air and leaving a pleasant tingle on his mouth.

“Hey babe,” Mitchell smiled and inside him, the blond felt Bragi stir at the sight. His cheeks pink from the cold, a few stray snowflakes clinging onto the wild dark curls peeking out from under his woollen hat and that gorgeous, open smile – the poet inside Anders was more than tempted and not even the bright scarf could deter him.

In an attempt to reign him in Anders replaced the skates in Mitchell’s hand with a mug of steaming mulled wine and prepared a mug of punch for Anna.

“Uncle Andy, you have to skate with me!” Anna said, her breath forming little clouds around her head as she eagerly accepted the mug.

“Oh muffin, I don’t do ice skating,” Anders said and clinked glasses with her.

Anna frowned. “Why not?”

“I’d rather watch the two of you,” Anders said. “Aren’t you having fun with Mitchell?”

“So much fun,” Anna beamed up at Mitchell, “he can skate backwards.”

Mitchell winked at her. “He’s just really bad at it, kiddo. Your uncle Andy is easily embarrassed when he’s not the best at something.”

Anders looked at Mitchell and scoffed. “Now that’s just not true.”

His lover calmly took a sip from the mug, the steam momentarily obscuring the wicked gleam that had snuck into his eyes. “Which part?”

“Both parts!” Anders shook his head in disbelief. Incredible.

Anna giggled. “It’s fine if you skate slowly. I can hold your hand if you’re scared.”

Anders didn’t need to look at Mitchell to know just how wide his grin had gotten. _The little shit_. Whatever Bragi had been stirred by a moment ago certainly couldn’t have been to do with his character. Anders threw him a sinister glance in comment and concentrated back on Anna.

“That’s really kind of you, muffin.” Anders knelt down to playfully pull at her hat. “But I’d rather stay here and finish my drink.”

Anna looked at him in a plea Anders knew would be difficult to resist. “Please?”

 _Oh no, not the puppy dog eyes_. And if that wasn’t bad enough Anders felt his resolve weaken at the hopeful ring in Anna’s voice, tugging at his heartstrings.

“Told you,” Mitchell pointed out, humour ringing in his voice, “he’s scared to be less good than us.”

“Mitchell! That’s… hrm…” Anders spluttered incredulously and less fluent than he would have liked. _This is it._ He wouldn’t be made fun of by his stupidly agile lover any longer. Besides, how hard could it be, scooting around on a slippery surface for a while? In a determined move Anders walked over to the patio door and opened it a crack.

“Ty? I need ice skates!”

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The bandage was tightly wrapped around Anders’ ankle and shone bright with plasters Anna had adorned them with; a comic panda bear now flew a plane up his leg while another one rode a scooter towards his toes.

“I’m never going ice skating again,” Anders grumbled as he entered his flat on crutches.

This was ridiculous and most of all, it _hurt_. Every bit of pressure he put on his ankle sent a flash of pain through his entire leg, the crutches pressed uncomfortably into his skin and _god_ , whoever designed the pavement outside his apartment clearly never had to rely on only one foot.

“Let’s get you to the couch,” Mitchell said and leaning heavily on him Anders hopped the last metre to finally sit down in his own home. Carefully, he propped up his injured leg on the sofa and onto the cushion Mitchell provided.

“Is that okay?” Mitchell asked cautiously.

“No, it’s not fucking okay,” Anders snapped. “My ankle is sprained, it hurts like hell, and on top of it I had to face Michelle in this stupid sweater. You’d think she’d have more composure, being a doctor.”

Mitchell sat next to him, looking every inch like a kicked dog. His eyes were clouded with worry as he glanced at him, lips thin in shame. “Anders, I’m so sorry.”

“It was such a nice day and now I’m lying here all useless,” Anders huffed in frustration. It wasn’t fair and the thing that annoyed him most about it was his own stupidity. All of this could’ve been avoided easily if it weren’t for his ridiculous wish to prove himself to Mitchell and Anna.

“Had I known how shit you are at ice skating I wouldn’t have said anything…” Mitchell said in a hopeless voice and took Anders’ hand gently.

“Yeah, well, thanks for rubbing it in,” Anders frowned but accepted the gesture, letting his fingers slip between Mitchell’s. He scrunched up his face in pain when he moved in yet another thoughtless motion. Shit, keeping your foot still was more difficult that people made it out to be.

“Wait, I’ll get you an ice pack,” Mitchell said and pressed a little kiss on the back of Anders’ hand before standing up and heading towards the kitchen.

“How fitting,” Anders muttered and sighed. Now he’d miss the rest of the day, hanging out with Anna and building a fire in Ty’s fireplace, pestering Axl about stuff and poking fun at Mike. _Great_. And if that wasn’t maddening enough he also kept Mitchell from having a nice afternoon.

“There,” Mitchell said as he came back and wrapped the ice pack in a towel, kneeling next to him and carefully placing it on his ankle.

“Thanks,” Anders murmured and pressed it lightly on the sore spot, only to inhale sharply in pain again. _Fuck_.

“Seriously, I’m so sorry…” Mitchell spluttered helplessly, his words as uncoordinated as his hands as he tugged at the cushion he had just put in place a moment ago.

“It’s fine, Mitchell,” Anders said, somewhere on the thin line between amusement and annoyance, “stop apologising.”

Mitchell looked up at him from his crouched position, his eyes almost as innocent and big as Anna’s when she had asked him to ice skate. “But…”

“If I hear another ‘sorry’ out of your mouth I’ll sedate you with the extra painkillers Michelle gave me,” Anders said and felt his mood tipping towards amusement at the absurd picture of a passed-out vampire and a limping god in the same living room. “It’s my own fault for not just ignoring the two of you.” Under his breath, he added, “Bloody puppy eyes.”

“If it’s any consolation,” Mitchell started with a sheepish smile, “you didn’t look half bad until…”

“Mitchell,” Anders huffed in vague embarrassment, “I really don’t want to know. My pride is hurt enough as it is.”

“Sure, of course,” he nodded and stroked over Anders’ hand again. “Sor-, uh, I mean… come here.”

Mitchell moved into his back to sit next to him on the couch and Anders felt himself gently pulled against the well-known outline of his lover’s chest. What a pathetic position – they looked like one of those lovey-dovey couples who watched a film together instead of screwing each other into oblivion. But the cool tingle on his ankle reminded him that the latter wouldn’t be an option for tonight anyway. Anders breathed out slowly and rested his head on Mitchell’s stomach, looking up into his dark eyes.

“Do the painkillers work?” he asked and gently stroked through Anders’ hair.

“It’s getting better.” Anders sighed deeply and suddenly chuckled. “God, I feel like I’m in a fucking Regency novel.”

Mitchell’s lips curled in a confused smile and as he tilted his head in question a stray curl bounced from behind his ear and into his face. “How’s that?”

“Let’s see,” Anders said, leaning into the gentle pull of Mitchell’s fingers in his hair. “First of all there’s a handsome and eligible protagonist, out of the house and caught up in an unexpected incident and some injury. In our case that’s clearly me and the ice skating, followed up by the tragic…”

At that Mitchell snorted audibly. “Tragic?”

“…the _very_ tragic accident in which I hurt my ankle. A highly sexualised body part I might add,” Anders smirked up.

“I noticed just how well yours are shaped, babe,” Mitchell said with one eyebrow raised and let his voice drop deliberately, giving it the husky cadence that never failed to send a pleasant shiver down Anders’ back. “And who am I in that scenario?”

“Well,” Anders pretended to consider, “what was it again you did?”

“I didn’t laugh?” Mitchell offered in a lopsided grin that still spoke of his remorse.

“True,” Anders nodded.

“And I carried you to the car and into hospital,” Mitchell pointed out in a more confident tone.

Anders laughed out shortly. “Yes, while hectically babbling on about broken legs and operations.”

A faint blush crept into Mitchell’s cheeks and painted them slightly pink. “I’m sure you’ve imagined that, being in shock and all.”

“Mhm.” Anders grinned up at his lover, reaching out to wind the stray lock around his index finger. “Well, I guess that qualifies you for the part of the handsome stranger.”

“Sounds promising,” Mitchell smiled. “Tall, dark, strong?”

“And broody,” Anders added as Mitchell’s smile became a tad too complacent – even though Anders took most of the blame himself Mitchell certainly wasn’t only the good guy in this story. In his stomach a laugh bubbled up. Weren’t they proper role models for little Anna. “Little unsocial, a recluse-type. Potentially awkward.”

“Well, I take what I can get,” Mitchell chuckled. “And for the most part I like the sound of that.”

He leaned down and Anders craned his neck, their lips meeting halfway in a soft kiss. Anders let the curl spring free to cup Mitchell’s stubbly cheek as their mouths brushed gently against each other, the faint taste of mulled wine and winter blooming on their lips. Anders sighed quietly into the kiss when Mitchell wound his arm around his shoulder carefully to hold him close, when the warmth of his lover’s touch seeped through him one by one. It was true that the afternoon certainly hadn’t gone as planned. But maybe, Anders thought, maybe this regency novel-like incident wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to him today after all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and happy holidays!


End file.
